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Count Dooku
"The best of all would be the strongest student, yes? Wisest? Most learned in the ways of the Force? Best of all, Dooku would be! Our greatest student! Our greatest failure." :―Yoda Count Dooku was a Jedi Master who fell to the Dark Side of the Force and became a Sith Lord, known as Darth Tyranus. Born into a noble family on the planet Serenno, he was the heir to vast wealth and luxiary before being taken in by the Jedi Order as a child. As a Jedi, he was the apprentice of Thame Cerulian, but was widely recognized as being one of Yoda's pupils as well. Dooku was a respected instructor in the Jedi Temple and one of the most renowned swordsmen in the Galaxy, equal to Master of the Order Mace Windu and surpassed only by Grandmaster Yoda. Dooku spent around seventy years as a Jedi, but the disasterous Battle of Galidraan shook his faith in the Order and the Galactic Republic as a whole. He came under the influence of Senator Palpatine of Naboo, and left the Jedi Order. After learning that Palpatine was secretly the Dark Lord of the Sith Darth Sidious, Dooku turned to the Dark Side and became his next apprentice, replacing Darth Maul as Sith Lord. His new master bestowed him the title of Darth Tyranus. Reclaiming his birthright as Count of Serenno as well as his vast fortune, Dooku conspired with Sidious, who as Palpatine had become the Supreme Chancellor of the Republic, to trap the Galaxy in a war which would bring the Sith to power. He forged ties between corporations and planets discontented with the Republic, and became the leader of the Separatist Movement. Upon declaring rebellion as the Confederacy of Independent Systems, thousands of star systems flocked to Dooku's cause and seceded from the Galactic Republic. History Early Jedi Birth The individual who became known as Dooku was born on the planet Serenno into House Dooku, a noble and wealthy family in control of the planet. His parents were stern, but proud of his Force abilities, and since they had another son to continue their legacy they were willing to surrender him to the Jedi Order. He was allowed to keep a token of his nobility, and thus unlike most Initiates he was well aware of his origins, and strove to prove himself worthy of them. Jedi Initiate As an Initiate, Dooku was instructed in group sessions with other younglings; as a highly promising student, he was taught under Grandmaster Yoda himself. Having an intelligent mind and being a fast learner, Dooku swiftly picked up everything that was taught to him and aptly applied it to memory with ease. Particularly adept at telekinesis and combat games, Dooku quickly outclassed many of his peers and began to impress many Masters. He could easily move objects with the Force by the age of seven, and won the Twelve-and-Under Push-Feather tournament at only nine years of age. Jedi Padawan In 89 BBY, Jedi Master Thame Cerulian chose Dooku as his apprentice as soon as Dooku turned thirteen. Cerulian sat on the Jedi High Council, and was renowned as a Historian. Under his instruction, Dooku continued to learn applications of the Force as well as Lightsaber skills, but also took an interest in politics, studying diplomacy and signing up for special tutorials in Senate procedure. Though Dooku was Cerulian's student, Yoda took a particular interest and remained a frequent adviser and confidant even after his Initiate training. The Grandmaster would regularly visit the pair while Cerulian was instructing Dooku, and would step in to provide knowledge in the Force and some tips in Lightsaber training. Yoda would also point out flaws in Dooku's applications whenever necessary. Due to this, he was seen as much as Yoda's student as he was Cerulian's. Though growning lonely in his rise in prominence, Dooku had a few friends among other Initiates, including Lorian Nod and learning Senatorial aide Eero Iridian. Despite their closeness, Lorian Nod was jealous of Dooku being chosen as a Padawan before him. Insecure about his Jedi future, Nod stole a special Holocron from the Jedi Archives with the intent to gain an edge over other prospective Padawans with its knowledge. Upon discovering this shortly after, Dooku visited Nod to persuade him into returning the Holocron, though the pair were interrupted by Master Oppo Rancisis, who had been alerted to the theft. Nod immediately implicated Dooku in stealing the Holocron without hesitation, leaving Dooku too shocked to contradict him. Nod later visited Dooku to ask his friend to cover for him, but Dooku did not give any assurance that he would as he was still angry with Nod. The next day, the two were on opposite sides in an urban tracking exercise and ended up brawling with each other. After Yoda broke up the fight, the two of them were individually examined by the Jedi Council. Having discovered the truth of the Holocron threat, the Council questioned the pair of them of the nature of their anger towards each other. Dooku told the truth about the Holocron theft, and as Nod lied to cover himself, he was cast out of the Jedi Order. Though the pair became bitter enemies, they would never see each other again for a long time. This experience made Dooku wary of friendship and attachment, becoming paranoid about the possibility of betrayal. Jedi Knight Following his successful completion of the Jedi Trials at age twenty, Dooku became an annointed Knight of the Jedi Order. No longer a student under Cerulian, Dooku continued his training independently, though was still often instructed by Yoda. Building from his foundation, Dooku became an accomplished duelist with a Lightsaber, as well as a skillful user of telekinesis and other Force techniques. He was noted to be the best student Cerulian ever trained, and quickly proved to be one of the greatest Jedi the Order had seen for generations. As he grew older and continued to develop, Dooku's further instruction in politics made him an outspoken individual who had strong views about the systemic corruption that plagued the Galactic Republic. As a Jedi Knight, Dooku undertook several missions for the Jedi Order, but spent much of his time in the Jedi Temple further honing his skills and abilities. While viewing a new generation of young Initiates, Dooku spotted a potential Padawan in a young human boy, Qui-Gon Jinn. Impressed with the boy's growing talents, Dooku discussed with Yoda how the pair could be a good match as Master and Apprentice. Three years into Dooku's Knighthood, he was assigned to protect Senator Blix Annon from pirates who were kidnapping Senators for ransom. On the Senator's ship, Dooku met up with his old friend, Eero Iridian, who was serving as Blix's aide. Sure enough, pirates ended up attacking the vessel, managing to exploit weaknesses in the design, and despite Dooku's efforts Senator Annon was captured. Upon returning to Coruscant to further his investigation, Dooku ended up recognizing one of the pirates as his old friend Lorian Nod; he thus became obsessed with finding the pirates and bringing Nod to justice. Suspecting that the security weaknesses and malfunctions on the Senator's craft were deliberate sabotage, he began tracing the sabotage to the responsible factory. He never informed the Jedi Council of the fact that he knew the kidnapper. Late Jedi Jedi Master After a couple other missions, Dooku finally completed another set of Trials and reached the rank of Master. He chose to operate as a proactive peacekeeper as his skills made him well suited for such field work, though whenever not on a mission he applied his time in Lightsaber Instruction. He became one of the most highly regarded teachers of this aspect in the Jedi Order. Despite his independence, Dooku ultimately selected Qui-Gon Jinn as his apprentice when he was able, teaching him everything he knew. Qui-Gon proved useful to Dooku's investigation, managing to help his master trace the sabotage of Senator Annon's ship back to the responsible factory on the polluted ice world of Von-Alai. They discovered the Factory was owned by a corporation belonging to Nod that used child labor on its assembly lines. They were found and betrayed by Eero Iridian, who used Dooku's trust to lure the Jedi into a trap. Though the Jedi were forced to surrender to avoid collatoral damage to the laborers, Dooku was able to break free of his restraints when Senator Annon, who was planned to be held until the pirates could be paid the ransom, died of a sudden heart attack. Dooku dueled with Nod and intended to kill him, though Qui-Gon's objection forced Dooku to simply defeat him and arresting his former friends, returning to Coruscant with his mission complete. His brush with the Dark Side was kept secret from the Order. After further service with the Jedi Order, including a final mission that lasted two years, Jinn was ready to face the Jedi Trials. Before the pair parted, Dooku advised Jinn that his need for connection with other beings was dangerous, and betrayal should never catch him by surprise. Jinn passed the Jedi Trials, and became a Jedi Knight. Having successfully trained his apprentice, Dooku returned to independent Lightsaber instruction. While Dooku and Jinn had been an effective team, their relationship after Jinn's Knighting was distant. However, Dooku was a great influence on his Padawan. Jinn followed Dooku's moral teachings as opposed to Yoda's in later life. He heeded all of Dooku's lessons except his last one, concerning the inevitability of betrayal. By this time, Dooku had become a powerful Jedi, with few Masters considered equal to his skill with a Lightsaber. He was considered a Jedi out of his time, as he had specialized in Makashi, a rare form in the current time of the Order as most of the enemies of the Jedi wielded Blaster weapons. Dooku was offered a place on the Jedi Council, but he turned it down so that he could remain free to remain an independent political idealist. Skilled at resolving disputes throughout the Galaxy, Dooku intervened in events such as the Sevarcos Dispute, serving the Republic as part of a diplomatic envoy aboard a consular ship. Galidraan The end of Dooku's time as a Jedi occurred during the deadly skirmish at Galidraan. An emergency call for aid by Galidraan's governor against a Mandalorian invasion prompted a swift but ill-prepared Jedi response. Dooku was the senior Jedi Master of the twenty Jedi thrown together for the task force. Unlike most of his companions, he had some knowledge of the enemy they were facing. Dooku was aware of the Mandalorians' reputation as warriors and requested reinforcements from the Jedi Council. The urgency of the situation, however, required him to use only his initial task force.The Jedi were given the coordinates of Fett's camp and surrounded it; Dooku demanded their surrender. Instead, Fett ordered the Mandalorians to open fire.The encounter decimated both sides. The battle concluded after the deaths of eleven Jedi and the near-complete destruction of Fett's forces. Fett was captured alive after killing several Jedi with his bare hands. Upon orders from the Jedi Council, Dooku turned Fett over to the planet's governor without further investigation. The governor took Fett's armor and sold him into slavery. While he was at the time unaware of the extent by which the Jedi had been manipulated, Dooku learned shortly thereafter how the Council and the Jedi had been used to further the governor's personal motives. This deeply offended Dooku, and he continued to seek out the full story behind the Galidraan debacle. He submitted a protest to the Jedi Council, arguing that they were wasting Jedi lives for political reasons. He took a particular interest in the fate of Jango Fett, who had earned his respect as a warrior. Distance from the Order After the battles of Galidraan, Dooku became increasingly withdrawn from the Jedi Order. He refused to accept any more missions from the Jedi Council and became concerned about prophecies he felt were coming true about dark times unfolding across the galaxy. While he discussed his concerns with many of the Order's most prominent Jedi Masters, his friend Sifo-Dyas was his closest confidant. Dooku's growing disenchantment with the Jedi way was sensed by Senator Palpatine of Naboo, who had been watching Dooku for some time and had plans that required someone with Dooku's reputation, skills, and financial resources. Holding several secret meetings with Dooku to feel out his opinions and cultivate him as an ally, Palpatine, who was secretly the Sith Lord Darth Sidious, preyed upon Dooku's doubts with the Jedi and the Republic at large. As a result, Dooku began considering the thought that the Dark Side of the Force could be called upon without personal corruption as his discontent with the Jedi Order grew. Departing the Order After making several public condemnations of the Senate, Dooku finally abandoned the Jedi Order following the death of his former Padawan Qui-Gon Jinn during the Battle of Naboo. He neither gave a reason for his decision to leave the Jedi in his public announcement nor did he provide one when summoned before the Jedi Council to explain his actions. His abrupt departure surprised and disturbed the Jedi Order, naming him a member of one of the Lost Twenty. In over two thousands years, only ninteen other Jedi Masters had walked away from the Order, with Dooku being considered the most bitter loss. Shortly thereafter, he met with Palpatine and informed the new Chancellor that he intended to claim his hereditary title of Count of Serenno. When the subject of Qui-Gon's death was broached, Dooku admitted to having had thoughts about hunting down the second Sith Lord to exact revenge. To Palpatine's surprise however, Dooku revealed that his line of thought had quickly changed, and that he now sought a potential alliance with the Sith, as he believed that they shared his aim to reforge the galaxy. In addition, he revealed that he thought of the Jedi Council as being at least as responsible for Qui-Gon's death as the Sith who had killed him, and that it was their perceived short-sightedness and obstinacy which had truly lead him to leave the Order. Palpatine did not reveal himself at that point, unsure of Dooku's true allegiances. However, with the death of his Master Plagueis at his own hand, and the presumed death of Darth Maul at the hands of Obi-Wan Kenobi, Palpatine needed an ally to further his own plans for galactic domination. Having resigned from the Jedi Order, Dooku retired to Serenno and claimed his family title of Count, left vacant by the death of his brother, while his nephew, Adan, and his sister in law went into self-exile on Alderaan. Sith Lord The Beginnings During Nute Gunray's final trial out of four tribunals for his role in the Naboo Crisis, Dooku learned from Gunray about Darth Sidious' role behind the scenes in the crisis. Shortly after this, Dooku was approached directly by Darth Sidious. They had a long discussion, and Dooku found that Palpatine's goals were not dissimilar to his own. Despite the recent death of Dooku's apprentice Qui-Gon Jinn at the hands of Darth Maul, Darth Sidious found it surprisingly easy to convince Dooku to ally with the Sith. After seventy years in the Jedi Order, Dooku abandoned his friends and the Jedi way for the dark side of the Force. Under the tutelage of Sidious, Dooku was renamed Darth Tyranus and became a Sith Lord. With his family holdings on Serenno, he had access to vast reserves of wealth that he used in the service of his new Master. Tyranus was soon fully enmeshed in Sidious's schemes. Shortly before Dooku left the Order, Sifo-Dyas secretly ordered a Clone army from the planet Kamino, claiming the army was for the Jedi and the Republic. Sidious informed Tyranus of this, and told him to eliminate his friend and gain control over the army. Dooku obeyed, murdering the Jedi Master and moving his body to storage on Serenno. He then gained full control of the project for the Sith, using Sifo-Dyas as a cover. After the death of Sifo-Dyas, Dooku successfully erased Kamino from the Jedi Archives, despite no longer being a Jedi himself. Making Arrangements Dooku had officially retired from public life, but he was by no means idle. On a mission to the planet Geonosis, on Sidious's behalf, he impressed Archduke Poggle the Lesser with his knowledge of ancient Geonosian atmospheric sailing vessels. The Archduke then presented Dooku with a Punworcca 116-class Interstellar Swoop as a gift. Dooku was pleased with the ship and acquired an exotic solar sail in the Gree Enclave to install on the vessel. The sail propelled the sloop and allowed it to go to hyperspace without the use of a standard Hyperdrive. Darth Sidious tasked Tyranus with recruiting a template for the Grand Army of the Republic's Clone Troopers, one that was capable of slaying Jedi. Dooku placed an extravagant bounty of five million Republic Credits on Komari Vosa, a fallen Dark Jedi, and pitted some of the galaxy's most fearsome Bounty Hunters against each other to kill or capture her. In a brutal fight, Jango Fett, who had by then become a Bounty Hunter after Galidraan, subdued Komari Vosa and captured her alive. However, Dooku was also on Kohlma and had observed the fight in secret. He slew his former apprentice with the Force, and then revealed his presence to the surprised Jango Fett. Fett demanded payment, but was intrigued at Dooku's offer of greater wealth if he helped to create and train a clone army. Fett agreed to be cloned on the condition he would receive the first clone unaltered to have for his own. As the years passed, Darth Sidious and Darth Tyranus made preparations for war against the Republic. They planned to use the droid armies of the Trade Federation and other corporations, though they would require a number of other organizations to support their effort. As plans laid by the Sith for over a decade began to come to fruition, Dooku reappeared on Raxus Prime in 24 BBY, commandeering a Republic communications station in the Tion Hegemony and giving a speech that heavily criticized the Republic for its decadence, hypocrisy, and corruption and the Jedi Order for its complacency. Dooku publicly called for entire systems to secede from the Republic and join the Separatist Movement. Separatist sentiment indeed soon spread, and on some planets dissatisfaction turned into armed resistance against the Republic. A Conspiracy Unveiled Some of Dooku's allies were more reluctant than others. Nute Gunray insisted on the death of Padmé Amidala, the senator and former Queen of Naboo who had led to Gunray's defeat in the ill-fated invasion of Naboo, as a prerequisite for the secession of the Trade Federation. Dooku sent Jango Fett to kill the senator, but Fett decided to subcontract the task to Zam Wesell. Jedi Master Obi-Wan Kenobi and his Padawan Anakin Skywalker thwarted Wesell's assassination attempt, and Fett was forced to kill Wesell and leave without killing Amidala. Obi-Wan then traced the weapon Fett used back to the planet Kamino. He discovered Fett there, as well as the clone army that Sifo-Dyas had once ordered. The first battalions of the army were now fully grown and ready for delivery to the Republic. Fett escaped arrest on Kamino and fled to Geonosis, where a meeting between Dooku, the heads of many major business and economic interests, and selected senators was taking place. Many of these individuals had long been allies of Dooku, such as Commerce Guild head Shu Mai and Archduke Poggle the Lesser. This meeting resulted in the formation of a new Confederacy of Independent Systems to oppose the Republic. Of the major factions present, the Corporate Alliance, Geonosian Industries, the Commerce Guild, the Techno Union, the InterGalactic Banking Clan, and the Trade Federation became signatories to the treaty to form the Confederacy. Kenobi, still pursuing Fett, discovered this meeting and attempted to inform the Jedi Council. However, Kenobi was captured by the Geonosians midway through his transmission. He was accused of espionage and thrown into a prison cell. Deciding to interrogate Kenobi personally, Dooku visited the cell where the Jedi was held. The Geonosians had placed Kenobi in a containment field to immobilize him and disrupt his access to the Force. The captive Kenobi immediately accused the Count of treason, but Dooku claimed the Jedi's capture had been a mistake. While questioning the prisoner, Dooku sifted through Kenobi's memories, looking for weak points in his defenses. The Sith Lord then attempted to sway Kenobi to his side, claiming the Republic was incurably corrupt and that Qui-Gon Jinn himself would have joined Dooku if he knew the truth. When Kenobi refused to believe that his former Master would have ever abandoned the Jedi Order and the Republic, Dooku told him that Darth Sidious, a Sith Lord, had control over the Senate. He made one last appeal for Kenobi to defect, saying that together the two of them could destroy the Sith. Kenobi refused the offer. Disappointed, Dooku left the Jedi in his cell and mentioned that it would be difficult to secure his release. Battle of Geonosis Obi-Wan Kenobi's transmission to Coruscant had reached Anakin Skywalker and Senator Padmé Amidala on Tatooine, and the two of them attempted to rescue Kenobi despite orders from the Jedi Council to stay on Tatooine. Both were captured trying to infiltrate the Geonosian stronghold where Kenobi was being held. Dooku offered clemency in return for Amidala supporting the Separatists, but she refused. The two would-be rescuers were both sentenced to death in the arena by the Geonosians following a quick trial headed by Lord Poggle. Kenobi had also been sentenced to death in the same manner, and the three of them met again in the Petranaki Arena. They were chained to poles, and an Acklay, a Reek and a Nexu were released to devour them. Dooku, Gunray, Fett, his son and others observed from a high balcony, while Geonosian spectators packed the stands. However, the execution did not go precisely as planned, and the three escaped their chains. Gunray was furious that the three prisoners weren't killed as planned and ordered Fett to shoot them, but Dooku advised patience and countermanded the order. The three prisoners were seized by Battle Droids when the executions were interrupted by the sudden arrival of Jedi Reinforcements. The strike team was led by Mace Windu, who surprised Dooku on the balcony, but failed to intimidate Dooku into surrender while threatening to remove Fett's head before a new model of Battle Droid, the B-2, arrived and drove him away with Fett's assistance. Dooku had been anticipating the arrival of the Jedi reinforcements and revealed that the captured Jedi were simply bait for a trap. Ten thousand Battle Droids awaited Windu's task force, as well as numerous Geonosian warriors. The new Separatist Army of the Confederacy overwhelmed the reinforcements, and many Jedi died while Dooku observed from the balcony. The Count did not join the battle personally, though Jedi Master Coleman Trebor reached the balcony and attempted to attack him. Fett killed Trebor, but was slain himself by Windu when he descended to the arena floor. Dooku was visibly disturbed by the bounty hunter's sudden demise. After the Jedi had taken significant losses and were trapped in the arena, he ordered the droids to cease fire. He then called on Windu to surrender, but he refused. The remaining Jedi prepared to meet their fate; however, the sudden arrival of the Clone Army decimated the Droids in the Arena and enabled the extraction of the remaining Jedi. Similar landings took place outside the arena, where Trade Federation Core Ships were preparing to launch for orbit to distribute their stored armies throughout the Galaxy. The Clone Army swept across Geonosis, forcing the Separatists into full retreat as they were entirely unprepared for such an attack. The leadership of the new Confederacy regrouped in the Geonosian command center, and agreed to abandon Geonosis. Dooku pretended not to know how the Republic had gathered such a powerful army in so short a time, while Poggle the Lesser commanded his warriors to hide in the catacombs under the Stalgasin Hive. Poggle also entrusted the plans of the Geonosians' Ultimate Weapon to Dooku to keep the Jedi from discovering them. Dooku then fled to his secret hangar on a speeder, escorted by a pair of Geonosian fighters. A Clone LAAT/i transport, with Obi-Wan, Anakin, and Padmé on board, followed in pursuit, though Dooku ordered his escort to shoot the craft down, succeeding in dislodging the Senator from the transport. This bought Dooku some small time to make it to the hangar first and prepare his solar sailer for launch. Obi-Wan Kenobi, Jedi Master Just prior to departure, Kenobi and Skywalker arrived to confront Dooku. The Sith Lord quickly dispatched the young Padawan, who had come charging at him without a plan, with a blast of Force Lightning while also telekinetically throwing him against the wall, temporarily incapacitating him and leaving Kenobi alone to face Dooku. Dooku tried to force Kenobi to back away with another blast of lightning, though Kenobi grounded the attack with his Lightsaber, drawing Dooku to engage him in a duel. Kenobi was quickly outmatched by the Sith Lord, who toyed with the Jedi Master before taking advantage of his Lightsaber's curved angle and disabling Kenobi with brushes against the arm and thigh. Upon flooring Kenobi, Dooku prepared to finish him off before his blade was stopped by Skywalker, who recovered from the first attack. Anakin Skywalker, Padawan Learner Too injured to rejoin the fight, Kenobi retrieved his Lightsaber and tossed it to Skywalker, enabling the Padawan to surprise Dooku with a flourish of two-bladed Jar-Kai Lightsaber combat. Dooku, at first caught off-guard, adjusted himself and forced Skywalker to backpedal with his own response before destroying one of the Lightsabers with a skillful disabling strike. Skywalker continued the fight with the remaining Lightsaber, and was able to keep up with the duel for a while before Dooku found an opening in the Padawan's form and sliced off his forearm. Yoda, Grandmaster Before he could escape, however, one last Jedi confronted him: Yoda. Dooku attempted to defeat his old Master with a combination of Force lightning and hurling machinery and parts of the hangar roof at him. When that failed, Dooku insisted on settling their contest with a lightsaber duel. Leaping into action, the two engaged in a fierce duel. Yoda, using his mastery of the Force, showed great agility as he leaped about the room, with Tyranus becoming increasingly frustrated at his inability to overcome the diminutive master. Realizing that Yoda was too powerful to be defeated, and forced to act due to incoming Republic and Jedi reinforcements, Dooku used the Force to topple a massive power column towards the wounded Kenobi and Skywalker in an effort to distract Yoda. As the Jedi Master broke off the duel to save the two Jedi, Dooku made his escape in his Geonosian solar sailer. Seconds later, clone troopers led by Padmé Amidala arrived in the hangar. Having fled the battle, Dooku set his course for Coruscant, landing undetected on the Republic capital with his solar sailer. In the Works, Tyranus met with his Master and informed him that events were moving forward and the long-planned war had begun. Darth Sidious was pleased with what his apprentice had accomplished and that things were going according to his plan. Clone Wars With the Clone Wars kicking off across the Galaxy, the knowledge of Dooku's betrayal to the Jedi and the Republic became known across the Galaxy. Hence, he took the position as leader of the Separatist Council, which would go on to evolve into a full political body in opposition to the Republic as the Confederacy of Independent Systems. As head of the Separatist Council, Count Dooku effectively became the civillian-tier leader of the Confederacy, in charge of its political department as much as the military. Recruiting the Dark Acolyte Seeking new allies to bolster their followers, Darth Sideous and Count Dooku searched the Galaxy for promissing warriors who were willing to face the Jedi and their new Clone Army. Using his resources to gather information, the Count travelled to the war-torn gladitorial planet of Rattatak, where he made arrangements to assess their members and find a promising fighter. Upon arrival, Dooku was greeted by an official and lead to the arena known as The Cauldron. Dooku's arrival caught the attention of one of the warriors of the arena, Asajj Ventress, who was an aspiring Force user that hated the Jedi for their perceived corruption. Intending to impress the Count with her abilities, she applied stealth and silence to her movement, shadowing closely behind the Sith Lord for her opportunity to reveal herself. At the Cauldron Arena, Dooku patiently observed the dozens of fighters clashing in chaotic dance in the arena below him; while he sat in his silent survey, the hopeful student approached him silently, masking her presence in the Force and skillfully swapping places with the official who sat right next to Dooku. Despite being aware of her presence the entire time, Dooku was quite impressed with her technique, admitting her talents were well-timed and flawless. Having come for a warrior and not a spy, however, Dooku bestowed her to prove her fighting capabilities; Ventress obliged, leaping down into the arena and using a combination of her Force powers and Lightsaber technique to lay waste to all the other gladiators. Once she was finished, she claimed to be strong in the Dark Side as well as claiming to be Sith; Dooku was not fooled, being Sith himself, and quickly dismissed her claim by pointing out that Sith, unlike her, are fearless. He managed to goad her into proving him wrong before unleashing a real Dark-Side power on her, incapacitating her with Force Lightning to the point of unconsciousness. Dooku brought Ventress to the ruling Fortress of the planet, waiting in hiding for her to awake. When she did, he lashed out in a surprise attack, testing her reaction and reflexes. She was able to evade his attack, retrieving her Lightsabers and engaging him in a one-on-one duel. The Count spent most of the fight on the defensive, using his masterful skill of Makashi to easily dodge many of her attacks and perfectly block or parry the others. He briefly applied a characteristic Sith Taunt to her in order to make her angry, which succeeded and resulted in the rest of her strikes to become wild and even easier for him to read. He would occasionally strike with his Lightsaber, being careful not to make true strikes so she was able to defend herself, albeit barely due to his calculating maneuvers. Trying to buy herself time, she reached out with the Force to cause a sculpture to move and hit the Count from behind, which he noticed and flawlessly struck down with his blade. Though Ventress had momentarily hidden herself with the distraction, Dooku noticed her presence behind him within seconds and used the Force to raise part of the ruined sculpture and block her sneak attack. Having finished his assessment, Dooku used the Force to disarm Ventress of her Lightsabers, raising his blade to her neck in victory. Instead of killing her as she expected, Dooku stood back; having conducted the duel as a further test while his Master, Darth Sidious, watched through the eyes of a Droid in the shadows, the Count inquired Sidious of his thoughts. Lord Sidious revealed himself, being impressed with the student's initial skill with Lightsabers. Upon introducing Sidious as the true Lord of the Sith, Dooku stood back and observed as Ventress agreed to be recruited to their cause in order to learn more of the Dark Side and have her chance to fight the Jedi. Ventress was assigned as one of Dooku's Acolytes, becoming a useful tool in the forms of stealth and infiltration as well as a capable assassin and combatant for the Sith. As a student of his, the Count would instruct her on better application of the Dark Side, as well as sharpening her skill with a Lightsaber. As per association with the Sith, Dooku presented Ventress with a new set of Lightsabers: a pair of finely crafted Curved-Hilt weapons, both with Synthetic-Red blades per Sith tradition. Personality Master Dooku was widely known for his stoic, intelligent, and calm demeanor. Even with the blade of a lightsaber pressed against his neck, he remained relaxed and confident throughout. He was also exceptionally cunning, and would often set elaborate traps for his allies to test their genuine value and effectiveness to him. Dooku's disregard for sentient life bordered on the sociopathic. Dooku was amoral and highly apathetic, but not incapable of emotional experiences: he was visibly shocked when Jango Fett was killed in the Geonosian Arena by Mace Windu. He also frequently voiced his experiences of shame or disappointment. He was an accomplished philosopher, orator, politician, and warrior, regarded as one of the greatest Jedi ever for his strength of character and his strength in the Force. Yoda considered Dooku to be the Temple's greatest student, and his fall to be one of the Order's greatest failures. Toward the end of the Clone Wars, Dooku had been a practitioner of the Force for nearly eight decades, and a Sith Lord for more than ten years. Even as a youngling, Dooku felt driven to succeed. He was fully devoted to the ideals of the Jedi Order and the ideal of service to the galaxy. He sought to become a great Jedi Master, and for the vast majority of his life, he did not even consider the possibility of a life outside the Order. He knew of his heritage as a nobleman and felt self-conscious about it on occasion in his younger days. Dooku chose Padawans he thought had the potential to become great Jedi themselves, and endeavored to teach them all he knew. Dooku had no known romantic relationships, but his Padawan Komari Vosa was infatuated with him. This was one of the factors that led to his recommendation that she be dismissed from the Jedi Order. Dooku held very high expectations of government as a Jedi, and was perceived by his peers as a political idealist. He became increasingly disillusioned with the Republic in the period before his defection from the Jedi Order, and eventually held the opinion that the Jedi betrayed themselves by serving the politicians. In particular, he was highly critical of the Council's handling of the Battles of Galidraan and Baltizaar. The Jedi Council's perceived betrayal of the ideals of the Order greatly influenced Dooku in his fall to the dark side. Dooku never forgave betrayal and he appeared to have virtually no tolerance for it. For instance, during a confrontation with Lorian Nod, a former friend who had once tried to frame him, Dooku nearly killed his adversary despite the fact that he was still a Jedi Knight at the time. However, his Padawan Qui-Gon Jinn successfully appealed to Dooku's honor as a Jedi, and Dooku relented. After his conversion, his reactions regarding betrayal took the same ruthless turn as the rest of his behavioral traits; he later killed Nod during the Clone Wars without a second thought when Nod attempted to oppose him. As Tyranus, Dooku's discussion about returning to the light side with Yoda on Vjun immediately broke down when he discovered that Anakin Skywalker and Obi-Wan Kenobi were present, interpreting their presence as a personal betrayal by Yoda. The arrival of the two Jedi had in fact been pre-arranged by Darth Sidious, who knew of Dooku's intolerance for betrayal and used it as a tool to ensure his loyalty. As Tyranus, Dooku became a Humanocentrist. While he remained a connoisseur of alien art and antiquities, he secretly despised most if not all of the corrupt aliens on the Separatist Council, though he reserved a measure of respect for the Geonosian Poggle. He divided the entire galaxy into two categories: threats and assets. The threat category was for beings or institutions that interfered with his personal advancement and would have to be eliminated, the asset category being for those who could aid, or at least not hinder his advancement. By the time of the Clone Wars, Dooku believed that the sorrow and injustice of the galaxy could only be responded to with anger and hate. He came to believe that the Jedi Order should embrace the dark side and rule the galaxy alone without the interference of the Senate. As Tyranus, he planned to transform the Jedi into a Sith Army, and intended to forcibly recruit Force-users into its ranks. While often assuming a genteel and civilized manner, Dooku had no qualms about torturing or ordering the deaths of hundreds of his former comrades, nor about committing any number of atrocities as leader of the Separatists. Dooku also had a certain fondness for Obi-Wan Kenobi - viewing him as a grandson-like figure - and would have liked to recruit the Jedi Master to his cause. However, Dooku never allowed this slight fondness to cross into the territory of mercy or compassion, and never hesitated with regard to eliminating Kenobi when he could. Powers and Abilities Lightsaber Combat Dooku was an extremely skilled and vastly experienced lightsaber duelist. Before his resignation, Dooku was known as one of the most skilled duelists and lightsaber instructors in the Jedi Order. He was the Jedi Temple's most agile swordmaster and instructor, apart from Yoda himself. Dooku's skills were so great that he was even known for having once bested Mace Windu at sparring, a feat that only Yoda was able to achieve and during the time of the Confederacy Crisis, it was said that only Windu would have been his equal and only Yoda surpassed him on neutral ground. Dooku only continued to further hone his lightsaber combat skills after becoming Darth Tyranus at Sidious's encouragement. Before the Clone Wars, Tyranus made short work of Obi Wan Kenobi and Anakin Skywalker and stood up against Yoda, who praised Tyranus for fighting well, but he proved unable to effectively match his former master and was forced to retreat. Though styles like Form I, Form III, and Form V were more practical in the age of Blasters, Dooku's competitive spirit drove him toward the second form of lightsaber combat, Makashi. He exclusively utilized Makashi in combat, believing that duelists who devoted themselves to the study of multiple combat forms would never attain the same level of mastery as ones who devoted themselves to a single style. In addition, he appreciated the lack of acrobatics that the style possessed, and was fairly disdainful of combat styles that utilized extensive acrobatics like Ataru. In addition, while he did train Grievous, whose style utilized up to four lightsabers, Dooku himself was a strong proponent of using a single blade in combat, and believed that multi-bladed styles were somewhat garish. Dooku's mastery of Makashi was exemplary, considered to be the greatest user of Makashi of his time, which was one of the reasons why Darth Sidious chose him, as Dooku's outstanding mastery of such a rare form provided him with an edge against most duelists, who simply were not prepared for Dooku's finesse and precise movements coming from his mastery of a form bred for lightsaber dueling. Hence, Dooku would give the Sith an edge over the Jedi during the Clone Wars. His bladework was outstandingly elegant and precise, displaying a pin-point accurate and unpredictable offense reinforced by an almost effortless defense that were so thoroughly practiced to the point that he could do it on instinct. Dooku's style was fluidly defensive, using his superior mobility and balance as well as feints to entrap his opponents, and footwork to outmaneuver, basing himself on balance, back-and-forth charges and sudden retreats, to work his way around opponents, aptly deflecting and evading their attacks rather than trying to meet them head-to-head first with ease, allowing him to effectively conserve his energy in order to later unleash rapid and devastating counters. He also was known to attack with a fencing-style thrust, mostly utilizing his Lightsaber in one hand at the angle so as to have it pointing towards his opponent instead of being held perpendicular and clearly visible. His other arm would be extended off to the side to assist in maintaining his balance, which was always excellent due to his well-calculated and highly practiced footwork. Occasionally, he would use both hands to hold his Lightsaber when required, such as transfering the weapon between hands during a twirl or bringing the blade into a defensive posture to shield against strong attacks. His skill in Form II was so great that he was capable of effectively overcoming the weaknesses of the form, as shown by how he could hold his own against two opponents with little difficulty, despite the fact that Makashi was not suited for combat against multiple opponents. and was also extremely competent at deflecting blaster bolts, despite Makashi's weakness against projectile weapons. Although Dooku's primary specialization was Makashi, he was still highly knowledgeable of the other forms, being considered one of the Temple's best lightsaber instructors. He retained his compotence with them after he became a Sith Lord and proved to be good enough to instruct Grievous in their usage and at times also gave him some corrections and advice when he passed on his training to the IG-100 MagnaGuards. Force Powers As a Jedi, Dooku was known for being highly talented in the ways of the Force, the most gifted student of his time, and mastered many of the Jedi arts. Upon becoming a Sith Lord, he also mastered many of the dark side's powers and his power grew further. However, he was still outclassed by both Yoda and Sidious, as shown by how they have easily overpowered in a direct contest. Dooku was recognized as being particularly skilled in telekinesis, and in addition to being able to easily move objects with the Force by the age of seven, he even won the Twelve-and-Under push-feather tournament at only nine years of age as well as having lectured on the subject as a Jedi Master by saying that he levitated a massively heavy pot when Yoda asked him to do so with such ease that he described it as lifting a light pot. He often used his mastery of telekinesis to augment his dueling prowess with great effectiveness, and was quite skilled at directly attacking other Force adepts with telekinetic strikes. He was also capable of a limited form of flight. As a Sith Lord, he sometimes combined telekinesis with the use of Force lightning or Force choke. Despite his mastery of telekinesis, he thought little of using the Saber Throw technique, believing that one's lightsaber should never have to leave one's hand. Universal Force Powers: *Force Speed *Force Push/Pull/Telekinesis *Affect Mind/Dominate Mind *Force Breach *Mind Trick/Force Confusion *Force Resistance *Force Sight *Precognition Light-Side Powers: *Force Aura *Force Barrier *Force Enlightenment *Force Stun Dark-Side Powers: *Force Choke *Crush Opposition *Force Fear *Force Lightning *Force Slow Equipment Lightsaber Count Dooku's Jedi Weapon, this Lightsaber is of a Curved-Hilt design, placing the blade off-angle from the frame of the weapon. This allows for superior finesse and precise blade control by fitting better into Dooku's hand, enhancing its performance in the Makashi-style combat that its wielder is specialized. In addition, Dooku's Lightsaber has a Dual-Phase capability, allowing him to toggle between two preset blade lengths with the push of a button in the middle of combat, often to take his opponents off-guard after they've become accustomed to one blade length. Originally, it generated a blue-colored blade from an Illum Adegan Crystal during his time as a Jedi; after becoming a Sith Lord, Dooku replaced the blue crystal with a characteristic Synthetic crystal, giving it a Red blade. Due to the nature of the artificial crystal, the Lightsaber generates a distinctive hiss noise upon activation. The exterior construction was an exquisite design to reflect the Count's noble status and experience as a Jedi, demonstrating pride in his position and wealth. Its shell construction can be divided into three segments, as the Hilt is curved in two places. The bottom segment contains Power Generation and Blade Activation as well as Belt Clip, the middle segment contains Energy Amplifiers and the Crystal Chamber, and the top segment contains Energy cyclers and Blade Focusing components as well as the Dual-Phase toggle. The Lightsaber is dominated by a polished silvery metal, with a black grid-grip accomodating the bottom and middle sections; the middle showing off elegant curves between the metal and grip. The Blade Emitter Shroud piece connects to the rest of the Lightsaber at the tip of the weapon as well as along the "belly," fixed across the middle segment on the inside of the curve. The obvious red trigger and noticeable gold Dual-Phase trigger stand out from the silver and black construction. Despite its exotic appearance, aside from slight adjustments to accomodate the Curved-Hilt and Dual-Phase features, Dooku's Lightsaber was functionally similar to most standard hilt Lightsabers. The rear third of the weapon featured three Power Cells; one Compound Power Cell as the primary directly below the handgrip, one Phase-A Cell positioned next to the Activation Switch as a secondary, and one Reserve Cell contained in the Lightsaber's pommel. The Activation Switch is easily noticable as a red trigger, often activated with the pinky finger. On the left side of this segment, adjacent to the trigger, is the standard belt clip that attaches the Lightsaber to Dooku's belt when not in use. Past the first joint lies the Power Field Conductor, stacked with Power Vortex Rings, that channel and amplify the energy within the Power Cells through the rest of the weapon. Midway through the middle section lies the Crystal Chamber and Energy Gates, containing a Primary and two Focusing Synthetic Red Crystals; the forward Focusing Crystal lying in the second joint of the Lightsaber. Past this Joint lies the Energizers for the Cycling Field, as well as the Blade Energy Channel and Focusing Lens. As standard for Lightsabers, the tip of the weapon features a Magnetic Stabilizing Ring to loop the power back into the weapon. Solar Sailer Count Dooku's personal Starship is a customized Punworcca 116-class Interstellar Sloop. A heavily modified craft of Geonosian design with Gree influence, the original vessel was provided to Dooku as a gift from Poggle the Lesser. It was modified with its various upgrades, the most notable being the exotic Solar Sail from an antique dealer in the Gree Enclave, added 14 standard weeks before the Battle of Geonosis. The Solar Sail, powering other conventional technologies, gives this craft a Hyperdrive rating of 1.5. The spaceframe is a Huppla Pasca Tisc Shipwrights Collective Punworcca 116-class sloop, being 15.2 meters long, 4.6 meters wide, and 4.8 meters deep. Like many Geonosian starships, it had two multifunctional bow prongs, with an orb-like cockpit module positioned between the two, and a crew hold at the stern of the craft. The dark surface hull of the Solar Sailer was composed of heavy metals that were preciously rare on Geonosis. The interior of the craft was tailored to Dooku's refined tastes and his role as leader of the Confederacy of Independent Systems, and was fitted with an extensive databook library, strategic chart displays, and ornate decorations and sleeping quarters. Lightly armed, the solar sailer carried rows of 84 narrow-beam Tractor-Repulsor Emitters along the bow prongs that could act as offensive grapples. Additionally, in the rare circumstance that Tyrannus needed the vessel to be further modified, the cockpit module could be replaced by a dedicated weapons or sensor orb if necessary, and the piloting controls routed to the main hold. Category:Characters Category:Evil Category:Male Category:Bad